Street’s Disciple – Meek Mill’s Oct/Nov VIBE Feature (Pg. 4)

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By: John Kennedy/ November 2, 2011

STANDING BEHIND CLOUDY PLEXIGLAS in a tight vocal booth at Batcave, Meek shouts menacing adlibs over a hard, Southern-tinged backdrop. It’s a modest, but homey studio that helps keep the father of one grounded, even as his aesthetic shifts to fit the MMG mold. “All my niggas ballin’ you would think we in the playoffs/riding with a 30-clip, don’t make me spray off!” he drawls, Beats By Dre Pro headphones hugging his skull. “I’ve always rapped like that—aggressive, amped,” he says of his energetic flow, a byproduct of ripping loudmouthed battlers. Twin dog tags shine against his black Yves Saint Laurent tee. “I’ve kept my same mentality… Ain’t nothing change but the situation.”

If nothing else, Ross’ branding sensibilities have rubbed off. Meek is plastered on his own bags of Rap Snacks potato chips (Yung Joc and Romeo also have flavors). In June, the lyrical young gun announced a partnership with Ecko Unltd for a Dream Chaser t-shirt collaboration, named for both his upstart imprint and mixtape, which will become a trending topic on Twitter after its release tomorrow. Aspirations are quickly materializing, yet Meek—gearing up for this year’s Self Made sequel and his 2012 solo debut—is still warming up to the national fanfare. “I try not to get caught up in TV and where I’m at,” says Meek, unaffected. “I had to fight the system, fight the game, fight who was trying to kill you in the streets. But sometimes I be like, Damn, I’m really turning into a star.”